E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Help us name the Sam Adams world tour

Portland's extra special mayor is off on another absurd international junket. This time he and a staffer are headed to Brazil for a conference on climate change. He's allegedly a featured speaker there, although what useful information he has to offer the world on the subject is microscopic. Apparently he's going to regurgitate what some kid in the planning office told him about "eco-districts," the up and coming "green" boondoggle.

That is, if he shows up for the meetings.

A reader has suggested that someone should design a tour T-shirt for fans of the mayor, like the big rock bands have. But most rock tours have a title, or a theme, often based on the name of a recent album. What should we call the Adams tour? And does anybody have the complete list of cities he's traipsed off to since he lied his way into the mayor's office?

Sam is busy preparing for his post-political future. Why do you think he installed Skateboard Tommy as the "Transportation Director". It is helpful to be "connected" once the voters turn you out of office.

No one has waxed punny on "The Boys From Brazil." Surprising constraint.

Meanwhile, from John Roberts's linked blog:

"Now attacks on the bill are being mounted from liberal groups. Their principal objection is that instead of an independent market for buying and selling health insurance, they want the exchange to negotiate the price of insurance on behalf of small businesses.

That’s not the purpose of an exchange. The only state that currently attempts anything remotely like this is in Massachusetts, which not only has the most expensive insurance exchange in the country but, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, also has the highest health insurance premiums of any state.

Yet according to Milliman, the Seattle-based independent auditing and consulting firm, even that exchange is less an 'active purchaser' than an 'active market organizer.' As Milliman reports, 'While it [the Massachusetts exchange] has little leverage to negotiate on price with insurance carriers, it can and does effectively use its management of the store shelves to provide consumers with high-value products.'

...Why do you think he installed Skateboard Tommy as the "Transportation Director". It is helpful to be "connected" once the voters turn you out of office.

Had the same thought.

Have also noted more direction on bike perks.

...more controls on autos. Find the camera timing on the countdown and yellow/red light varies greatly. Observed camera flashing when no one was in the intersection and then no camera photo taken when another clearly went through red. The timing is different on some lights than on others - is that to create a "ticket trap?" Who makes money on these? More tension to drive through these traps! ....go by lightrail!

Choosing to fly unnecessarily to another continent to preach sustainability turns "Walk the Talk" into "Fly the Lie". This could all have been accomplished via video conferencing if he really cared about making a difference and reducing HIS carbon footprint.

I'd like to see someone initiate a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit all state and local employees from paying for their international travel using any kind of taxpayer funds. I can't believe Portland's citizens let Mr. Adams get away with this abuse of his office.

Hmm, world tour names. Wait, I know a way to figure this out: Justin Bieber is 17 - the same age Beau Breedlove was when Sam started the mentoring process - so why not take the name of Justin Bieber's concerts: "My World" tour? Sam certainly sees things from that point of view.

It'd be even better because Justin is rich. Sam wouldn't have to give Justin an envelope of cash like he used to give Beau prior to the investigation. Remember? Sam would drop the money off at the city hall receptionist so it didn't look suspicious. My those were inspirational times - it was so nice to know he would help a young person out even if it looked bad. What a guy.

Of course, John Kroger looked at that arrangement and saw nothing but a loan. Nice to see those East Coast street smarts kicking in.

Hey, why stop there? Why not bring John Kroger on the road to be the tour's P.R. guy? He's got the experience, and it would be lots of fun for him. Just imagine all the press releases.

What's really annoying is, the Brazilians, being thousands of miles away and not knowing any better, will see and hear the mayor of world-famous Portland tell his stories of dazzling successes and probably believe every thing he says.

The I don't give a rip that our mayor is out making Portland look good internationally while I laugh about the tin foil hat crowd in Portland freaking out about it tour.

In all honesty. Jack's good for the city. Nice criticism and all if it wasn't for all the deleting and banning of differing opinions. Its funny because I'd bet many dollars he couldn't stand to be in his most loyal commenters general area for more than a few minutes in real life.

Of course the problem, Phil, is that "Hizhonor" mayor creepy, can NOT make Portland look good internationally or any other way, period. Adams is an ignorant, lazy, incompetent, liar, who assumed office under false pretenses. He is an embarrassment to himself and our city at best, and a real detriment at worst.

Nice criticism and all if it wasn't for all the deleting and banning of differing opinions.

You mean, like yours? Or mine? Or Jim Karlock's? Or a few hundred others? C'mon, man. I've seen Jack ban a few, but they had to be seriously obnoxious to get there. And hell--ever try making an honest comment in a City Council meeting? Maybe Jack should just have all dissenters "wave their hands".

P.S. -- Watch out Portland: after a trip to a Brazillian eco conference, Adams will come back with a master plan for mandatory fee-based collection of all those leaves and grass clippings for one of those bogus biofuel energy plants. Just think of the jobs it would create! -- more of them squadrons of government jobs trying to enforce and collect the fees than there would be private sector jobs inside another climate-killing carbon-based energy plant.

I saw him the day before yesterday in the neighborhood, in muddy jeans, scuffy boots, and a black T, on his phone outside a local eatery. At first I thought- could this be the mayor of Portland? It looks just like him, sort of your generic sociopath in glasses on his cell phone...but, but, what's with the tan? Totally unnatural
tan, any pale Anglo with that deep a tan is usually wrinkled and the tan is never so even as this cafe-au-lait look he has going...

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 113
At this date last year: 155
Total run in 2016: 155
In 2015: 271
In 2014: 401
In 2013: 257
In 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269